In Russian there are many words borrowed from French in the 18th and 19th centuries, for example, floor, atelier, understudy, lampshade, madam, etc. The meaning of the word "madame" at first glance seems obvious, but still not it would be superfluous to know his story.
Etymology of the term
Ma dame ("my lady") - this is how medieval troubadours turned to the subject of their passion in the heyday of courtly lyrics. Old French ma dame, in turn, comes from the Latin expression mea domina, and is translated into Russian as “my lady.”
Later this word began to be written together (madame), and in oral speech it was used before the surname when referring to a married woman, for example, Madame Lecoq. However, not all French women who were married could count on such polite treatment - such ceremonies were not observed with respect to commoners.
The meaning of the word "madame" was not limited to referring to aristocrats or bourgeois wives, in some cases it played the role of a title when it came to women of royal blood. So, the daughter of Louis XI, Anna of France, is often mentioned in documentsjust like Madam.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, this word began to be used in the Russian Empire as an address to a married woman. In the story "Trouble", for example, Chekhov wrote:
And, saying something else, Madam Kushkina rustled her train and left.
In addition, this term was used in relation to the owners of fashion houses, boarding houses or foreign governesses, which we find confirmation in Pushkin's story "The Young Lady-Peasant Woman":
His daughter had an English madam.
What does the word "Madame" mean today
Over time, any language evolves, therefore, the meaning of some words in it may change. Nowadays, the term "madame" has acquired an ironic connotation in the Russian language. So they can call an elderly woman who holds herself too important: "A certain 50-year-old Moscow madam is going to sue the housing office workers."
Another example is Pugacheva A.'s once-popular hit "Madame Broshkina", which sings about a broken middle-aged divorcee.
In addition to the ironic meaning, today there is something else: in Russian journalism there are names borrowed from English for positions held by women: Madame President, Madame Speaker.
